The Departure Conjecture
by Dr Skywalker
Summary: Even thought they all give him a hard time, everyone realizes how empty their lives are without Sheldon. Where did he go?
1. Chapter 1

The Departure Conjecture

By Dr Skywalker

Dr Leonard Hofstaer sat in the big comfy chair adjacent to the couch watching classic episodes of Star Trek. Raj and Howard sat in their perspective spots on the couch as well, but no one whether it be out of respect or some bizarre superstition, on its designated ownership rights, wanted to sit in Sheldon's spot.

It was eerily quiet without him there to comment through the episode and correct continuity issues with the series. The boys, despite their vocalization of his constant annoyance to them, every now and then would glance sadly at the empty seat on the couch and then look at Leonard in concern.

None of them had heard from Sheldon in weeks, the last anyone had spoken to him was his girlfriend Dr Amy Farrah Fowler, when he first left. Even though Leonard called her every day to ask if shed heard anything from Sheldon the answer was always the same. Leonard knew Sheldon had a hard time with change, he knew Sheldon was apt to panic when things weren't planned out and set in a regimented way, and that sudden changes in his environment tended to set him off, but he never dreamed Sheldon would run away like he did. He'd even gone so far as to call Sheldon's mother, only to hear the concern in her voice over his sudden departure.

Even though he drove Leonard and the guys crazy, even though his quirks and demands and constant irritations were always cause for annoyance of Sheldon, it just wasn't the same without him.

Penny drummed her fingers on her own couch in her apartment in worry and guilt, after all it was she, who convinced Leonard to let Sheldon go I the first place, but since they hadn't heard anything from him in such a long time, her fears began to mount. Penny understood Sheldon in a way few did, and their bond was very strong, shed grown to love Sheldon like a brother, and she knew shed never be able to forgive herself if anything happened to him or if he hurt himself. Her maternal instinct for him began to inch its way up her neck again, and she got that awful kink in it she always got when she worried for Sheldon. Maybe Leonard was right, maybe he wasn't able to go out on his own, he was so naive about so many things. Maybe he got mugged or worse ended up on the wrong bus to god knows where? Shed even asked Leonard to try to track his cell phone, but to no avail. The last time they checked his phone was somewhere in Arizona. Three days later, his Facebook posted in Boston, MA. That was over three weeks ago, and no correspondence had taken place since. What if something horrible had happened to him and it would be all her fault. Penny kept glancing at her phone hoping he would text her or tweet or something…but the small rectangular plastic sat woefully still.

Dr Amy Farrah Fowler sat in her lab trying to concentrate despite her puffy red eyes and sleepless nights. She missed his smell, and his voice. The way he looked at her with just the right kind of smoldering desire that he never acted upon. She missed the way he kissed her deeply and truly. His crazy quirks. What she wouldn't give for him to call Human Resources with complaints of a brain tumor which would turn out to be an ice cream headache. She wished so badly she could hug him, and assure him that Leonard and Penny's engagement wasn't the end of the world, and that Stewart's comic shop would re-open or that she was sorry for pressuring him into moving in together. Amy fought to hold back tears of worry, and guilt and fear.

She feared he didn't think of her as she did him. Perhaps he was with another girl at this very moment, maybe some stupid grad student who would fall for his charms, and his immense intellect and divesting handsomeness. He hadn't texted, phoned, posted, tweeted or called and this left her wondering all manner of horrible thoughts, from infidelity to murder. She feared hearing about his dead corpse on the 6:00 news, or finding out via Facebook he was involved with someone else, or that he had gotten lost and ended up in some god for saken Mexican village with no hope of escape, or maybe he'd been sent to Guntantmo Bay for saying the wrong thing to an Airline attendant. She hated the uncertainness of it all, she hated Penny and Leonard for letting him go, and she hated him for leaving her. How could he be so selfish? He didn't even say goodbye! He just took off! He'd finally checked in with her, yes, but only after the fact! Her fist tightened on the scalpel she had and she cut a large chunk of the brain she was working on off, causing her to slam the instrument down in frustration. She couldn't concentrate with him … out there like he was. With him just… gone. Every few seconds shed check her phone to make sure she hadn't missed a text or call but nothing. She sighed miserably and put her phone down sadly. It was deathly silent in her lab, only the sound of the slow ticking clock on the wall made any noise. She stood there in the silence with every emotion running through her head, and fought back tears.

Then, suddenly her phone vibrated….she grabbed it and stared but didn't recognize the number.

"Hello?" She asked confused

"Amy? Its…me."


	2. Chapter 2

Amy's heart plummeted. "Oh my God! Sheldon! I was so worried!" She put her hand on her chest and relief flouded her. "Are you alright? Where are you?"

"I- Im fine." Sheldon said. "I lost my phone so I had to get this lousy replacement." He said evenly. Reception was lousy wherever he was.

"Where are you?"

"Im in Iowa."

"Why on earth are you in Iowa?!"

"This is where Captain James Tiberius Kirk will be born in 2233." Sheldon said as if it were the most obvuios thing in the world.

"Oh." Amy rolled her eyes but found she was smiling. "Im so glad youre okay. I was …really worried, you havent responded in weeks!" her voice had a bite on it now.

"I know." He said in his small voice. "Im sorry, I didn't mean to cause you alarm." He said. "I saw some gratianopolitanus, and they made me think of you."

Amy melted. "Oh Sheldon…" She sighed. "Are you coming home?"

"Not just yet. Its really rather wonderful out here. Its quiet and sirene." He said and after a pause he added. "Is Leonard okay?"

"Hes worried about you too, we all are!" She said cross again

"Im sorry. I should have called sooner I know, its just…theres a lot for me to figure out right now."

"Look, I know its all really hard for you, but its not like youre problems are going to go away. They will still be here when you get back and youll have to deal with them."

Sheldon remained silent.

"Sheldon?" Amy said slowly. "Are you there?"

"Yes." He said after a long pause.

"Well?!"

"I understand what youre saying, but theres … theres a few things I have to take care of before I can come home."

"Like what?!"

"I - I cant tell you."

"Why not? What are you working on some top secret goventrment project?"

Again there was silence. "Youre not right?"

"No." Sheldon said bitter. "The government is still mad at me for trying to use Uranium to figure out Howard's magic trick." He said "They wont send me any projects any time soon."

"What about your grad students? What are you going to tell the university?"

"I gave my notice."

"You quit?!"

"They wont let me pursue other facets of Physics! What was I supposed to do?"

"Well…not quit! What on earth are you going to do for a living?"

"I have enough saved up for quite a while."

"Well what about Leonrd and Penny? Leonards going crazy with worry and so is Penny!"

"Well you can assure them Im fine cant you?"

"Sheldon…" Amy began

"Amy, listen to me. I know youre scared for me, and I appricate your concern, I really do, but I have to just be by myself right now." Sheldon said with a slight softness in his voice he reserved only for her. "I wish I could be with you right now, but I cant. Please don't worry about me, Ill be fine."

"Sheldon?"

But he had hung up. Amy sighed heavily, and wiped the tear from her eye. At least he was alright. She dialed her phone immedatly.

"Leonard?" Amy said. "He just called. Hes in Iowa. Because of –"

"Of course! That's where Kirk is born in 2233." Leonard smiled relived his friend was alright, he cupped the reciver. "Hes in Riverside Iowa." He said to the guys.

"Of course!" Raj said smacking his head. "Its figures that's where hed go. Whens he coming home?"

"Whens he coming home?" Leonard echoed.

"hes not."

"Hes not?!"

"Hes not?"

"He says he still has some stuff to figure out."

"Like what?"

"He wouldn't say. He says hes fine and not to worry about him."

"Well…did he give you a time frame?"

"No he just hung up."

Leonard's frown deepened. He glanced at the calender. "Hes way past due for a hair cut and his check ups."

"I know." Amy said in the same worried loving voice Leonard had. "But he says hes fine."

"He gave notice at work." Leonard said grimly

"I know he told me."

Howard checked the laptop. "Wait – his phone is still in New Mexico, whered he call you from?"

"Some little prepaid burner. I didn't recongize the number, but Ill give it to you." Amy said "914 555 6745"

"914?"

"Yeah – why?"

"That's … Westchester, NY. What the hells he doing there?" Howard said looking up from the screen

"No idea."

"Weird…"

Raj bolted up. "Wait – that's where the X Men school is! OH my god you guys! Hes doing it! Dude! The pilgramage!"

"Holy Crap! He is!"

"What?" Amy asked anxiously.

"Hes doing the country wide tour of all the locations weve always wanted to go to, Roswell, New Mexico, the Xmen Mansion, the birth place of Kirk, I betcha I know where hes going now!"

"Central City!" Raj and Howard said together

"What?!" Amy said exhasterated.

"Central City is where the Flash lives!" Leoanrd explained.

"So its not real."

"Well, its sorta real, its based on Keystone City near Missouri. I got a hundred bucks says he goes there!"

"Ill take some of that action!" Howard said

"Wait so … does that mean you know when hell come home?"

"No, but weve talked about the pilgramage and how awesome it would be to tour the country with all the greatest locations!" Leonard said excitedly. "Amy, I gotta go, thanks for calling."

Amy hung up the phone shaking her head.


	3. Chapter 3

Leonard threw open Pennys door followed by the guys who were possiblty gitty with excitement! "We figured out where Sheldon's going!"

Penny jumped up. "You heard from him? Where is he? Is he okay?"

"Amy says hes fine. Hes in Iowa!"

"Oh My God! You mean hes seeing where Kirk was born?" Penny clapped her hand over her mouth in embarrassment for knowing that piece of geeky trivia.

"Right!" Leonard grabbed her and kissed her proudly. He turned to the guys. "That's right, my wife knows where Kirk will be born." He said with a large grin on his face.

"I not your wife yet." Penny said rolling her eyes, but she was too distracted. "So wait where's he going now?'

"Well hes been to Westchester."

"Oh my god – you mean hes been to the Xmen house?!"

Again Leonard smirked at the other guys.

"That's right." Leonard pointed to the map theyd all contributed to, drawn out years ago, with Sheldon's tidy scrawlish writing on it. "Sheldon started this map when he was seven."

He unfolded it, and pointed to the various places on the map that were indicated. Sheldon had laid out the entire trip in great detail, in crayon. "Ok so far Sheldon's been here, here and here." Leonard exed out the points on the map. "So we think hes headed to Central City where…." Leonard said looking at Penny, who looked blankly back at him.

"Where is that like where the Flash is from or something?"

"Yes! Three for three babe!" Leonard was exstaic.!

"God I gotta get out more." Penny was mortified she knew such geeky knowledge

"Wait the Skywalker Ranch is here, but Gotham is over here, and so is the Specail Edition Conference. What about the SFFSFF?" Raj pointed to the oppisite sides of the country.

'What about the Quiddich World Cop in Florida?" Howard said

"That's true. Or there the Challenges comics in Chicago that's supposed to be badass!"

Howard nodded in agreement. "Theres also G fest there too." Howard pointed to Chicago.

"Oh yeah…but … what about…" All three guys stopped in their eyes popped.

"E3!" They all said in unison.

"What the hell is E3?" Penny began, and chuckled as she watched grown men get more excited than kids discovering Santa Claus.

"E3 is the holiest of holies! The biggest gaming and tech convention in the world! That's son of a bitch is going to go without us!"

"How do you even know that's where hes going?"

"Where else would he end up? That's where Id go!" Leonard said.

Penny shook his head. "Gimme that phone." She snatched Leonards phone and dialed the number Amy had given them.

"Sheldon!" Penny barked

"Penny?" Sheldon asked surprized it was her.

"You big jerk! You worried us half to death!"

"I lost my old phone so I had to purchase a replacement!"

"Dude youre living the dream! Way to go!" Raj called

Sheldon, very pleased with himself smiled into the phone. "You've figured out my journey have you?"

"Yeah its awesome dude!" Raj called proudly

"Except youre going to E3 without us!" Howard bit

"No- No Im not…" Sheldon answered on speaker phone.

"Well…where are you going?"

"I cant tell you." Sheldon said shortly.

"Why not?"

"I cant tell you that either."

Howard tilted his head. "Wait - It this like your 43 thing?"

"No." Sheldon growled. "Look, Im sorry I didn't call you before, but Im perfectly fine, please don't worry about me so much. Honestly, your'e worse than my mother."

"Did you speak to her?" Penny asked in a rather scolding voice

"Yes, I just got off the phone with her. Amy ratted me out." He said bitterly. "Apprently to everyone."

"Well… how are you are you? Are you okay?" Penny asked

'"Im fine. I assure you if I wasn't youd know about it."

They all looked at each nodding in suffering agreement of that statement.

"Well, when are you coming home?"

"I dont know."

"Im probably going to loose you, Im going into a tunnel these people have no idea what wifi is out here… its like trying to comminicate with Homo rhodesiensis."

Howard chuckled. "Well listen buddy take care okay. Don't get in a car with strangers."

"What about taxi cabs?"

Leonard and Penny glance at each other, in knowing. "Taxi cabs are fine sweety. Just not vans without windows."

"What about if-"

But he the signal was gone. They all looked at each other with a mixture of amusment and worry. Sheldon tended to have that effect on them.

"Well at least hes okay." Penny reasoned.

"yeah…for now." Leonard answered

"But if he isn't going to E3 where IS he going?" Howard asked stumped. He instincly looked to Leonard who knew him best. Leonard shrugged.

"Hopefully hell be home soon." He wasn't sure if he was tryin to comfort his friends of himself.

"Maybe we should call his mom maybe she'll know…"


	4. Chapter 4

Sheldon sat back and sighed comfortably as he watched the world pass him and listened to the murmer of the train's engine and the clickity clack of the tracks. Even as intellegent as he was, sometimes it felt wonderful to just turn off his brain for a while. Everything Amy said to him was true of course. All his problems would still be there when he got back, including her. He still had no idea what to do about his future, nor about Leonard and Penny nor about Amy.

The more he thought about it, the more ill at ease he felt, so his solution was to simply not think about it at all. He decided he didn't care about the outcome to any of that right now, this moment, he thought, was for having fun. It was for Sheldon time and no one else. He was confedeint that hed successfully convinced everyone he was fine and perfectly capable on his own.

He gazed out the window at the corn fields darting past him, tiny rural towns in the middle of the country, tiny people with tiny minds. For some reason, he felt homesick. He missed his little East Texas town, even thought when he lived there all he wanted to do was leave and never come back.

He wondered what his life would have been like had he not ever been given the chance to get out and explore his intellect. He shuddered at the thought of himself in some dead end job, with a smock and a pricing gun, trapped in the suburban nightmare of meditacirty. How horrid. The more he thought about it, the more he thought about other aspects of his life. He mused there was alternative universe out there with him in that very position, dully slapping little orange stickers on cans of mushroom soup somewhere. Some sort of sick version of Good Will Hunting.

Across from him, was an older couple. While they were shriveled and wrinkled, they clearly were still in love. The old woman had her head on his shoulder and her held her hand softly. Her cardigan and drab skirt reminded Sheldon dreadfully of Amy, even the way her hair was parted down the middle.

Sheldon sighed. Despite his objections, and denial of anything else, he could'nt forget or stop thinking about Amy. He knew in his heart she was right. About everything. She usually was. He drummed his fingers and began to figit. He wondered if there was a version of them in some alternate reality living happily together like the two across from him. He had an overwhelming urge to watch Pixar's "UP" all the sudden.

The train began to slow and he hard pistons and stream billow from it. He grabbed his bag and headed for the exit. He made his way to the end of the platform and found himself in the most previncal town hed ever seen. He looked up at the tiny weathered sign swinging in the breeze.

Welcome to Hutchington, Kansas. He stared at it for a few minutes and imagined his Pop Pop stepping off a train some forty years before after the war, in his Army dress, with his Meemaw there with open arms for him. Hed heard the story a million times, how hed fallen in love with her on this very platform Sheldon was standing on. Sheldon inwardly smiled as he thought of his grandfather growing up in the real life 'Smallville". After his Uncle was born, they moved to Texas when his Pop Pop found work on the gulf coast docks.

Sheldon looked around and realized there were busses or pubic transit of any kind here. He was the only soul for miles. Surrounding him were acres of corn and wheat fields. Behind him was an old sandlot, now over grown, and unkept. He imagined Lee Cooper as a boy playing baseball there in old Chuck Taylor sneakers, and worn gloves, and backward wool caps, blowing pink bubble gum bubbles.

"Hey Buddy? You lost?" Said a n old man reading a newspaper on the bench in fron of the train platform.

"No I know where I am. Im not lost." Sheldon stated.

"You got someone comin' to get ya?" The old man said spitting tabbaco on the ground, much to Sheldon's revultion.

"Well no. Im visiting. My grandfather grew up here."

"Oh yeah? Do I know him?"

"I don't supposed you would. His name was Lee Cooper. He passed away thirty years ago."

"Cooper… Cooper…" The old man squinted and tried to remember. "Any relation to Eddie Cooper?"

Sheldon was taken aback. "I have an uncle named Edward. Most people just call him-"


	5. Chapter 5

"Stumpy?"

"Why yes. That's right! How do you know him?"

"He works here!"

Sheldon did a double take. "He – he does?"

"Yep." The old man thumbed over his should to the rather portly gentleman dozing off inside the ticket booth.

"Hey Stumpy! Wake up! This here boy says he knows ye!" The old man barked. "Whatser name son?"

"Sheldon. Dr Sheldon Cooper." He extended his hand and the old man got heavily to his feet and shook his hand after ward Sheldon purrelled vigorish.

Uncle Stumpy ran his gnarled hand over his unshaven face. "Well Ill be….Shelly?" He asked opened his little booth and limping over to him. "Whatare you doing here boy? Wheres yer mama?"

"Oh, Im here by myself. How are you Uncle Edward?"

"Cant complain." He shrugged.

"What are you doing working in a ticket booth in Kansas?"

"It's a job aint it?" He answered "Better question is what are you doin here? You in trouble boy?" He eyed his nephew suspiciously.

"No no nothing like that. This town is what Smallville is based on. Its where Clark Kent grew up in Superman comics." Sheldon explained.

Edward sighed heavily. "That's figures." He said "So how long ya stayin?"

"Well I was going to look around for a while perhaps buy some souvenirs and head out. Im on a vacation of sorts."

"Why don't ya stay the night? I anit seen ya since that time you were in the hospital when you damn near melted down the entire town!"

"Very well." Sheldon said

"Com'on lets grab somethin' to eat."

Sheldon picked up his bag and followed his Uncle to his beat up old pickup truck. There was a large dent in the fender, and empty beer cans on the floor and the seat. It reeked of cigarette smoke and another odor Sheldon couldn't place. He hoped to any God that it wasn't some sort of animal. While he recoiled at the filth of the truck, he was also in the middle of nowhere and this was the only person who was willing to help him, so in he went. He brandished his handkerchief and placed it on the seat hoping that would at least allow him some semblance of cleanliness. He dreaded seeing what his Uncle's house was like.

"Hows Aunt Sarah?" Sheldon offered as the truck bumbled and bounced down the long strip of country roads that stretched before them.

Edward shrugged. "Like she always is I guess." He answered "She asks about you a lot, yer mama told us you gotcherself a girl finally." He eyed his nephew with a knowing look.

Sheldon found a wide grin on his face he didn't remember putting there. "Oh yes. Shes a neurobiologist." Sheldon said

"Oh yeah? She a looker is she?"

Sheldon blushed but retained a inward smile. "She has ankles that wont quit."

Edward chuckled at the look on Sheldon's face. "You look like your daddy did when he used to talk about yer mom."

"Com'on lets get some chow."

Sheldon looked out the window at the passing fields finding the tiny town coming up to them. Edward turned in to a parking spot and they both got out. Sheldon made a mental note to sterilize the truck as soon as he had the chance.

Edward waved to someone he knew as they crossed the street to the little diner they headed to. Sheldon looked about grinning. It was exactly how hed pictured it. Little store fronts in nineteenth century architecture with a dash of classical revivalism and colonialism.

"Hey Louanne." He said grinning as the entered the little diner. Like everything else in this town, it was perpetually stuck thirty years prior. There were people smoking, and drinking coffee, who wore jean jackets and drove trucks for a living. There was country music playing feebly on a radio somewhere, and there was a low haze in the air.

"Hey Stump!" She waved to him from across the counter.

"This heres m'nephew Sheldon. The rocket-scientist."

Sheldon bristled. "I am not a rocket-scientist, Im a physicist!" Sheldon corrected hotly.

The large woman behind the counter had a pencil behind her ear and a small pad in her hand. She chewed gum and her large glasses were attached to her by a shiny gold chain. "Uh-huh. That's great sonny." She gave Edward a look. "Hes related to you?"

Edward shrugged. "M'sisters youngest boy."

"Ah…" Lounanne said . "So what'll it be boys?"

"Usual fer me darin'"

"Do you have Tai food here?" Sheldon asked.

She looked at him like he was from Mars. "Very well. Ill have a bacon cheeseburger." Sheldon said.

"City boy…." He heard her mumble as she shuffled off.


	6. Chapter 6

"So whats eatin' ya kiddo?" Edward saying wiping his mouth on his shelve to Sheldon's continued disgust.

Sheldon looked at his uncle. "Nothing, Im fine."

"Yeah right. Shelly, you aint the type of kid to just take off like this, yer a planner, and a guy who follows the rules. You aint exactly an rebel." Edward said frankly. "So whats up? You only ever run away like this when your feelin like you cant take it like when you were ten and ya ran away from home because you thought that changing school was gunna be the end of the world."

Sheldon looked down at the faded counter. "Theres a lot going on that's changing, and I just needed to get away is all." Sheldon said not making eye contact.

"Okay." Edward said sipping his coffee and ashing his cigarette. "So whats so horrible that ya gotta run away…anybody gunna die?"

"No."

"Anybody gunna hurt you?"

"No, not really."

"Broken heart?"

"No not at all."

"Well dosent sound like anything that bad then…." Edward said.

Sheldon sighed and looked at the ceiling. He was quite used to not being understood by anyone so he remained quiet. No one not his friends, not his girlfriend, and least of all his family could ever understand what it was like to not be able to control a situation, and feel so lost and over his head.

"Well? What is it?"

"I don't expect you to understand."

"Try me."

Sheldon shook his head and sighed heavily, looking away sadly.

"Fine. Lenard and Penny got engaged and are moving into together, the university wont let me persure other of physics, Stewarts comic book store burned down and Amy is pressuring me to move in with her." Sheldon said in one breath.

Edward put his sweat stained filthy Texas Rangers baseball hat on the counter. "Do you remember when I got this hat?"

Sheldon glanced at it. "Of course I do, that was when you and dad took Georgey and I to the game, it was a cloudy Tuesday, and you bought that hat in the souvenier shop after the game. The Rangers lost to the Yankees 6-5." Sheldon's edicit memory never ceased to amaze.

Edward ran his hand through his grizzly balding hair. "Right. Do you remember how much you didn't want to go? You were bitching and moaning you had more important work to do the entire time, but when the game was over, you didn't want to leave because you had so much fun."

Sheldon looked up at his uncle. "He died that night." Sheldon said in a hollow voice.

Edward nodded. "But you had a great time with him and yer brother even though you would have normally never gone if ya stuck to yer routine right?"

"I did." Sheldon said softly.

"So sometimes you gotta look at whats more important in life kid."

Sheldon knew what his uncle was trying to tell him, it didn't make it any easier on him to accept these enouroumus changes in his life. Shagrined to admit his uncle was absolteley right he simply looked at his strawberry milkshake.


	7. Chapter 7

Satisfied hed said enough on the matter, Edward paid the check, and strolled down the street, with Sheldon following.

Sheldon thought a lot about his father for the first time in a very long time. He wondered what hed think of his life choices, or if hed be proud of him, or what hed have thought of Amy. It was a strange feeling to wish for fatherly advice from a man who been dead for twenty years. He looked at his Uncle's hat, the curled wore brim, the sweat ring around the middle, the dust, dirt and the frayed edges. When Edward bought it, it was bright blue, with a pure white "R" on it, now it was almost grey, and barely held together at all. But Edward had wore that hat everyday since his brother died, and took it everywhere with him. When he wasn't wearing it, it sat in the dashboard of his truck. The very same truck he was fixing the night his heart had finally given out.

Sheldon looked in a toy store window with a tiny toy harp in the front. Something in him stirred, and he found his phone in his hand. He looked at the smiling face avatar he used for her, and he wished she could be with him now, shed really love it here. They passed an oak tree with generations of young lovers initals carved in them, some had grown over some were fresh from summer flings. There in front of him were the very weathered and old letters L.C. + A.B He wondered if his meemaw remembered him carving those letters or if she even knew they exsisted.

His grandfather was one of the only people to encourage his scientific career. "Sheldon, the best equations are the ones that always balance every time." Poppop had told him. As an extrodinary five year old, Sheldon had assumed he was talking about math, but now saw it in a new light.

Edward eyed his nephew as he limped slowly down the quiet little street, wondering what he could be thinking about. He knew the boy was always the odd one out in any given situation, that he was smart as a tack, but also always a little sad. Alone. Perpetual wall flower, never joined in with the other kids, always kept to himself. His sister in law, Mary gave him reports of Sheldon's acheivements and accomplishments over the years, and also his very diffucult childhood. When Sheldon left for college he was 11 years old, so Edward remembered Sheldon as a little boy, but as he gazed at the man beside him, he realized not only had the boy hed known grown out of his shell, there was a pride in his walk now, that was never there before. Then he realized what Sheldon was thinking about and playful smile grew on his face.

They got back in the truck and pulled up to his Uncles house, which had once been his popopop's house as a boy. When he passed hed willed it to Edward and Sarah. It was a large wore old Victorian with falling paint chipps and rickety steps. The porch creaked with every step and there were large daddy long leg webs in the corners. Sarah Cooper looked up from her readers digest. "Eddy you home early?"

"Yeah, I found this one at the train station paying a a visist." He gave a chin flick to Sheldon who came up the steps trying not to touch anything dirty.

"Why Shelly, oh my goodness! Its been ages. How are you dear?!"

"Fine thank you." Sheldon answered.

"Id better phone your mama, she's worried sick about you. Youre little friend Leonard called her, everyone's plum cornered about ya."

Sheldon rolled his eyes. "Im fine Aunt Sarah. No one need worry about me." Sheldon was becoming increasingly irritated by the fact no one believed he be on his own. It was like no one trusted him, or thought he was strong enough. A part of Sheldon wanted to stay away just to prove he could do it.

His Aunt Sarah was on the heavy side, but not as round as her husband, had a kind, warm face, and glasses that sat on the edge of her nose. Her many bracelets jingled as she walked. She fussed about, making comments about how thin he looked and that he needed to eat more, shoving cakes and pie in front of him, which he tried and failed to refuse.

"Well now Shelly, tell me about this girlfriend of yours." Aunt Sarah over the top of her bifocals, as they sat down with tea in their hands.

Sheldon blushed. "Her name is Amy Farrah Fowler and she's a nuerobiologist."

"So she's a brain doctor? Like on TV?"

Sheldon breathed in slowly trying to maintain patience. "No. Shes works with the brain. You see, Neurobiology is the study of cells of the nervous system and the organization of these cells into functional circuits that process information and mediate behavior. It's a subdiscipline of both biology and neuroscience and while

Neurobiology differs from neuroscience, it's a much broader field that is concerned with any scientific study of the nervous system. Neurons are cells that are specialized to receive, propagate, and transmit electrochemical impulses. In the human brain alone, there are over a hundred billion neurons" Sheldon rattled off.

Aunt Sarah and Uncle Edward looked at each other with the same look Penny got when Sheldon tried to explain something to her.

"Yes she a brain doctor." Sheldon said finally trying with all his might to keep a civil tounge.

"Well that's all fine, tell us more about her! Wheres she from whats her family like…" Sarah smiled.

"Well, she's from Glendale, her mother is pleasant enough…I haven't met her father and I believe she has cousins somewhere in Lassen, up in the wine country.

"When are going to meet this girl?"

"I was planning on bringing her to the family reunion later this summer. Perhaps you'll meet her then."

"Oh my, I cant wait - she seems absolutely charming from what yer mama told us."

Sheldon had a funny look on his face. "She is charming, and very sweet. She makes me oatmeal just the way I like it and she gets this funny little wrinkle in her nose when she's mad at mad for being right about something." Sheldon said fondly.

Edward threw his wife a knowing look smiling.

"Well this girl seems to sure have had an impact on you Shelly. Why the last time I saw you, you couldn't even go to bed at night without yer pack of weekly PJs or that nightlight you refused to sleep without, now look at ya…a man of the world."

Rather pleased with himself, Sheldon smiled softly.

"So what are you doin for a livin these days? " She asked. "Still working for that school?"

"No actually I quit."

"You quit? Why? I thought you loved school!"

"I do. But the university would allow me to pursue other avenues of Physics, and was forcing me to continue with String Theory, something I had devoted my entire academic career to, with out any results. When I petitioned the board of directors to retract their position, they said no."

Sarah looked at Edward. "Well honey, I don't really understand any of that…but well now that means yer outta work aint ya?"

"Well technically yes, but a true scientist is never out of work."

"Well I suppose I could give ya job at the train station sweepin' the floor or something…" Edward offered.

A shiver went down Sheldon's spine at the thought of being a janitor. "While your offer is heart felt and in the best of intentions, Id rather be hung by the neck than be a janitor in a quaint, but po-dunk little provinace such as this. You people don't even have wifi."

"Whats a _why-figh?_" She asked

Sheldon closed his eyes and counted to ten before answering. "Let me explain. WiFi, is local area wireless technology that allows an electronic device to exchange data or connect to the internet using 2.4 GHz UHF and 5 GHz SHF radio waves. The name is a trademark name, and is a play on the audiophile term Hi-Fi. The Wi-Fi Alliance defines Wi-Fi as any "wireless local area network (WLAN) products that are based on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers' (IEEE) 802.11 standards".However, since most modern WLANs are based on these standards, the term "Wi-Fi" is used in general English as a synonym for "WLAN". Only Wi-Fi products that complete Wi-Fi Alliance interoperability certification testing successfully may use the "Wi-Fi Certified" trademark. Many devices can use Wi-Fi, e.g., personal computers, video-game consoles, smartphones, some digital cameras, tablet computers and digital audio players. These can connect to a network resource such as the Internet via a wireless network access point. Such an access point (or hotspot)" He put up little bunny ears with his fingers. " Has a range of about 20 meters indoors and a greater range outdoors. Hotspot coverage can comprise an area as small as a single room with walls that block radio waves, or as large as many square kilometres achieved by using multiple overlapping access points."

Edward and Sarah looked at each other again.

"So it's a computer thing?"

Snorting and clenching is fists Sheldon muttered. "Yes…it's a computer thing…" "Thats nice dear...let me show you to your room."

Sheldon looked at the ceiling for solace. "I should be used to this by now." He said under his breath.


	8. Chapter 8

The board of alumni had covered. Mrs Lathum eyed Dr Gabelhouser with her usual flirtatious and intimidating stature.

Across from her, was Dr. Thaddeus Charles Radcliffe IV, as wealthy a donor as Caltech got. Every year he gave millions to the school on behalf of the physics dept. as he was apparently distant relative to Newton. His wirey grey hair was parted neatly and his herringbone jacket had a silk handkerchief in the pocket.

He had a warm fondness for a certain quirky physicist who unfortunately couldn't be present for annual peer reviews.

"Why where's Dr Cooper?" He peered over the top of his horn-rim glasses at Gabelhouser.

Gabelhouser shifted uncomfortably. "He's….on a sabbatical at the moment."

"According to this, he's no longer working here. Whats going on Gabelhouser? Wheres my money going?"

"Dr Cooper is a crackpot! Ive never met a more obnoxious person in my life!" Agnes Packard said adjusting her broach. "Good Riddens"

"Ill admit he's eccentric, but so is a full third of the scientific community. I have faith that his name will go down in the history books!" Dr Radcliffe said said not looking at anyone in particular.

"While I admire Dr Cooper's research and his achievements…he requested that he switch his studies to Cosmology which we simply cant allow." Mrs Lathum said matter of factly. "He didn't like it so he quit simple as that."

"Well get him back!" He said simply

"We cant. For all we know he's interviewing as we speak." Gabelhouser said getting more and more anxious as he spoke.

"Either Sheldon Cooper is a name of the faculty of this school, or I pull every penny!"

The blood in Gabelhouser's face drained.

"But….But…Dr Radcliffe, please understand…we didn't fire him…and besides, despite his achievements Mrs. Lathum is quiet correct. He simply cant change his field of study as he pleases."

"Ive had the pleasure of reading every one of Cooper's papers, and Ive never seen a more brilliant insightful Youngman." Radcliffe said

"He's been the cause of more complaints in this school than the entire staff combined!" That included Howard Wolowitz!" Mrs Davis growled. "he's a nutcase!"

"I don't care if he thinks he's Napoleon! Get him back." Radcliffe spoke in an air of man used to getting his way. "All those in favor…" He raised his hand and gave a very finalizing look across the table.

Gabelhouser looked around the table and saw nine hands go up. He sighed heavily and raised his own.

"Very well, case closed." Dr Radcliffe Stood and closed his briefcase.

Dr Gabelhouser looked at him in question.

"Well what are you waiting for Gabelhouser? Go get him back!" He said his voice raising. "NOW!" He barked

Gabelhouser scurried form the room, followed quickly by Mrs Davis, and several other board members, leaving him and Lathum alone.

He gave Mrs Lathum a look that meant one thing.

"Dinner?"

Lathum grinned evilly. "Oh Thadeous, just like the old days."

He extended his hand gentalmen-ly. 'Shall we my dear?"

"I just love when you yell at the help…" She said allowing him to take her arm and together they left in very close proximity.


	9. Chapter 9

It was cozy enough, and relativitly clean. There was a soft quilted blanket was folded neatly over the oak posted bed. The large windows were outside of the roof of the porch, bracketed by lace curtains. Sarah watched her nephew, the tall gangly man who stood before her, but she remembered a scrawny quiet boy, whose nose was always in book, who was always alone with only one exception. She always felt so sorry for him, when he was a child, he didn't have a friend in the world. His mother told her stories of bullys and cruel children, and how hed lost his Poppop and his father so young. "Would you like some warm milk before bed dear?" Aunt Sarah had kindly.

Sheldon smiled softly gazing out the window as the stars outside flickered to life in the warm summer dusk. "No Im fine, thank you." He said in his reserved demeanor.

Aunt Sarah reguarded him for a long time. "You look just like your grandpa when you stand in the light like that." She said. "My My… Sheldon, you've grown up."

Sheldon took this information with a slight tilt of head. "So I have." He said

"Ya know your Uncle and I would do anything to help you don't you sweetheart?"

Sheldon nodded. "I know, and I appriacte it, but you neede'nt concern yourself, I assure Im perfectly fine."

"I know you are, and were both real proud of you."

He wasn't sure what she was getting at. He sat down on the bed beside her, and waited pateinly for her to get to her point.

Sarah hesitated before she began again. "This girl…" She looked down. "Do you love her?"

Sheldon looked up at his Aunt with a face shed never seen on him before. Shed seen sadness, shed seen sickness, shed seen happiness and shed seen him cry, but shed never seen this expression on Sheldon before. It was a look of utter clarity of pure understanding.

Aunt Sarah smiled knowingly. "You count your blessings Shelly." He kissed him on the forehead. "Goodnight darlin'" The door closed quietly

"Goodnight Aunt Sarah."

Sheldon turned towards the window with his hands behind his back, rocking on the back of his heels. He opened the window softly and without thinking he crawled out onto the roof below, laid on his back with his hands behind his head and looked up at the stars, breathing in deeply. The summer breeze played across his face and he hard the distant hum of the air conditioner around the other side of the house. It was the most relaxed he felt since he left. Lighting bugs flickered in the yard, lazily illuminating, and deluminating. As he gazed at the endless night sky, Sheldon thought of what his Aunt said, pulled out his phone and began texting.

Amy sat at her desk in the university, with a quiet little Mona Lisa smile on her face, thinking of Sheldon had that effect on her. He could be dreadfully sweet when he wanted to be. Hed sent a quote from a poem she loved, about the night sky by Walt Whitman. It was sort of thing he didn't share with anyone else but her. A side of himself only she knew about, that he saved only her. He showed little torn pieces of himself to her like this from time to time, and it made her long to tear more away, but little tiny bits of himself was all she ever got. It was like her own private little secret, the Sheldon Cooper she got to keep in her pocket, that she held in her hand and sighed for. Hed given Amy no indication that he was ready to come home, nor any idea bout where he was, but she found she didn't care, she was simply thankful that he thought of her, and knew that was enough. To any outsider, they would think it a small thing to get a text form your boyfriend when he was away, but for Sheldon, it spoke volumes, and Amy found this comforted her, and for the first time since hed left, she felt peace, a true calming peace that had nothing to do with he Camolmile tea of the soft Mozart in the background.


	10. Chapter 10

The next morning Uncle Edward woke up to find his truck shined up, polished and cleaner than he ever thought possible. "Damn boy, I didn't think she ever looked that good." Sheldon popped up from under the dashboard. He was wearing a respitartor mask hed found in the garge his Uncle used for spray painting. "How do you possibly drive like this? Is your intention to barrage your immune system with pathogens as to strength your central nervous system?"

Uncle Edward blinked in confusion. "Uh…well, thanks fer cleanin' her up." He said.

Sheldon shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Like a Animal." He muttered under his breath. He was hot and sweaty from working on the truck all morning and dirtier than hed normally have allowed himself to become, but there was something wonderful about the hard work that it was. The morning sun beating down on his neck, and the stifling haze which rose off the dashboard. Whistling low, to Sheldon's annoyence, Edward tipped his hat back.

"You did a helluvea nice detailin' job Shelly. "You even got m'toenail clippins out of the dashboard."

Sheldon Shuddered a little. He held up the gloves he had on, and the half empty bottle of purell. Non pulsed, Uncle Edward leaned on the open door. "'Member how yer daddy used to work on this truck?" Edward said remembering fondly.

Sheldon shared that memory as well. "mm… yes, every Sunday after Church, hed wash it and work on the engine. He always said 'nothin like hard to clear the head'. " Then he drink his drivin' whiskey and pretend no one could see him."

Uncle Edward chuckled so hard his belly shook. A crooked half smile was on his face as he watched his nephew embody that of his dead brother in so many ways.

"Why don't you go in the house and wash up? Sarah'll have brefeast on the table soon." Indeed the aroumas of eggs, bacons and French toast wafted out of the windows and both men, sniffed the air hopefully as men tend to do when bacon is being cooked.

Sheldon wiped his hands on the shop rag he was using and sculted into the house obediently. He watched him close the screen door and grined at the man his nephew had become, and his chest rose with pride. He looked up at the sky. "He cleaned yer truck…youd be so proud'o him."

At brekfeast, Shedon found he was hungeier than hed realized, and had three helpings.

"Sure worked up an appitite didchya boy?"

Sheldon swallowed loudly. "Exscuse me."

"The truck sure looks nice Shelly." She said. "Maybe that's what you can do…getchyerself a job a Jiffy Lube or somethin'" She said smiling happily thinking this was an acceptable vocation for him.

"No I don't think so." He said evenly trying not to choke on his bacon from her remark. "I have two PHds and - I" He looked up at the antique chandoler that had hung in that kichten for over seventy years. There were tiny crystals dangling from it swaying in the cross breeze from the windows. The pattern the emitted on the wall were prisim like specturms of color dansing about from their light refraction.

"Refracting Prismatic Geons!" Sheldon blurted.

Edward and Sarah looked at each other bewildered.

Sheldon was on his feet. "There dosent have to be a bending princable with light as the constant! " He said to no one who understood him.

"Should I call Doc Phelps?" Sarah fretted "Oh Shelly honey are you havin a fit?"

"No the promions and tensor fields … they act as … as almost fracticzation in their behavior but react as … as…" Sheldon's eyes widened.


	11. Chapter 11

Sarah clutched the front of her robes shut in fear as they watched Sheldon mutter things to himself and write things on an invisible board in front of him with his finger.

They had no idea what he was saying. His lips kept moving, but no tangelble speech patterns could be formed.

" I think we should call a doctor of somethin' Eddie – this is just weird."

Edward took a different approach. "Shelly?" He waved his hand in front of Sheldon.

"Maybes hes got food poisonin' or somethin'"

"Naw I think this is one o'them whatchya call – it Eepifaneees." Edward said. I seen it on TV.

Sheldon seemed to have snapped out of whatever trance he was in. "This is why I came here. I knew if I could get to a place with simplistic people my mind would find its place again." He patted his hat. He leapt form the table and dashed upstairs"I gotta go." Sheldon said.

"What - Right now?" Edward called up the steps

"Yes this instant, I have to get to New York." Sheldon called back throwing his things back in his bag.

Sarah and Edward looked at each other. "Whats in New York darlin'?" Sarah was kind, but a little frightened.

Sheldon looked up their warm albeit bewildered faces as he thumped back down again. "Not a what – a who." He said

They looked at each other again.

"Dr Brodie Tremont." Sheldon said as if it were the most obvouis thing in the world.

"Well…" Edward took of his hat and scratched his bald spot. "I ..I don't get it why do ya gotta go to New York now for?"

"Because Dr Tremont is the one man on earth that can prove my theory." Sheldon hoped Brodie still wouldn't be angry after their huge fight years ago.

"Who is this guy?"

"hes the Lando to my Han." Sheldon said trying to make his Uncle understand. When he saw the blank expression on Edwards face he tried again. "Hes a tentured professor at Fordham. We co-authored a paper together years ago." Sheldon explained dashing about for anything hed forgotten.

"I need to get to the airport."

Sarah gave her husband a shrug. "Well youd better take him then…" She said resigned. "Ill fix you a snack to take."

When they were ready to leave, Sarah hugged him warmly, and he placed his hand awkwardly around her at first and then after a long pause gave her a real hug.

"You take care now…"

He smiled. "I will." He said solemnly

When Leonard looked down at his phone and his jaw dropped.

"Holy crap!" He said

"Whats up?"

All Sheldon had texted him was an equation…but such was the languge of mathematics that Leonard got an entire conversation from it.

"Its from Sheldon. He thinks hes come up with a new cosmological constant for light refraction in tensor fields!"

Howard and Raj stared in disbelief. Raj grinned proudly. "That's amazing...if hes right…"

"Hell have proved the speed of light isn't a constant!" Leonard said excitedly. He looked at his phone again. "Hes on his way to New York to see if he can get back in touch with Brodie Tremont!.

"He knows Brodie Tremont? THE Brodie Tremont? Raj yelped"

"He told me once they co-authored a paper together when Sheldon was an undergrad, but that they had a huge fight over it." Howard said

Raj gave Leonard a 'no kidding' type of look. "I wonder why that happened…."

"Well, if anyone can help him, its Brodie."

"How do you know him?" Howard asked incredulously

"Only in name, but hes brillant." Leonard answered.

"Wow…he hasn't spoken about Tremont in years…" Howard said.

"Yeah, they kinda had a falling out when Sheldon demanded his paper was the right way to go, and Tremont wanted to use his theory." Leonard explained. "I wonder if Brodie will even let Sheldon see him, he was pretty mad about it…"

Howard had a shrewd strange look on his face. "I d'know…I always got the impression there was something else going on to make them fight."

"Like what?"

"Im not sure, but I got the feeling Sheldon never told us the whole story there…"

"Well pick something…Sheldon isn't happy unless hes makig someone else miserable…"

"Maybe…." Howard said with a odd calculating look. "Theres something else."


	12. Chapter 12

Dr Brodie Tremont was in his office making notations on his board, with his tougne sticking out a bit. His jaw hadn't been shaved in over in over a month giving him a gruff hipster style, and his newsie cap sat jountaly off his head. His ledgendary cordory brown jacket zipp-zopped every time he reached up to change something on the board. He always had a pen in the front pocket. Piles of ungraded grad student work, files and papers littered his desk, covered in empty coffee cups and crushed energy drink cans. The youngest tenured professor ever at Fordham, he also lectured regularly at NYU, Hofstra, Pace and several other schools around the area.

He was notorious for his lack of political correctness, his sailors mouth, and his rather brash assement of things in general. His students both feared and revered him, hed been known to fail students for showing up to class five minutes late into his lectures.

There was a large telescope in the corner, along with dozens of leather bound dusty volumes, which peppered the floor and the large soft chair from whence he did his reading had his sleeping dog, Tom Servo, in it. There was a lego model of a time traveling dolorean next his side table, with stacks of comics, rolled up maps of the universe, and models of antique cars. A scale replica of a dragon from Games of Thrones, hung from the ceiling along with Anakin Skywalker's Jedi starfighter from Episode Three. Pictures of him next to huge names in the field hung cooked on the walls, from his years of touring the country, nestled between various amazing accolades of scientific acheivement. He sucked on the marker he was using in thought, when his phone buzzed.

"Im busy what is it?" he didn't look at the caller., his voice was low and gravely, but had a hint of a squeak to it.

"Brodie? … Its Sheldon."

Brodie's eyes snapped open. "Sheldon…Cooper?"

"Yes."

"Holy Shxt! The guys with a godamxned edicted memotry finaly remembers to fucxking call me!" He had a booming laugh. "I saw you won the Chancoloers award a few years back…congrats. Awesome You Tube vid by the way…." He laughed again.

Sheldon grumbled. He well remembered how rough around the edges his old collegue was, but he needed help and he needed it now. "Thank You, but that's not why Im calling." He said. "Im on my way into Laguradia, I have something for you." He said

Brodie smudged out the notation he made in his formula with his elbow while talking on the phone with the other hand. "Oh yeah? Anythign interesting?"

Sheldon texted the formaula hed sent Leonard.

Brodie stared at it with an open mouth.

"Brodie … Brodie can you hear me?" Sheldon yelped into his phone. "Did you gett he formula?"

It took a minute for the room to stop spinning before he answered. "How fast can you get your boney ass here?"

"Im boarding right now."

"Ill meet you at the airport." Brodie hung up.

Sheldon smiled softly to himself. Brodie never said goodbye. Ever. He didn't believe it in, because he believed that matter revolves in a cyclical motion and therefore there is no such thing as goodbye. It was one of the things that made him like Brodie when they first met all those years ago when Sheldon was a scared little kid surrounded by college age students all pushing and shoving past him on the quad. Sheldon remembered vividly how Brodie had looked over the top of his 'Crisis on Infinate Earths' issue at him with great inetrest.

"Hey kid!" He barked.

Sheldon started. He was used to hearing that in the form of a threat.

"You! Yeah you!"

Sheldon walked over timidly. "Yes?"

"Why are you here?"

"I go to school here." Sheldon answered

"Youre like what ten?"

"Eleven and half thank you." Sheldon said folding his arms

Brodie smirked. Even back then he wore a cordory jacket and was unshaven.

"Whats the atomic mass of carbon squared to the forth dimension?"

Sheldon stared at this boy for a long moment trying to decifer if he was being sarcastic or if he was about to get a beating.

"One atomic mass unit is equal to 1.660538921 × 10-27 kg,[1] or 1/12th of the mass of a standard carbon-12 isotope." Sheldon answered. "But what your asking is a trick question – You mean is inquire what the atomic mass is of carbon is four dimenstions, however based on Nuetronian prinacbles of grafine screen planes the answer is indeterminate."

Brodie put his comic down, and considered Sheldon for a long while. "Whatsyer name kid?"

"Sheldon Cooper." He extended his scrawny arm. Brodie shook it jovialy. "Good t'meet ya. Name's Brodie. Brodie Tremont, actually Dr. Brodie Tremont." He said.

Sheldon smiled at this, for the moment hed gotten to campus hed longed to surround himself with other intelligent people such as himself.

"Crisis on infinite earths? Have you started the 52?"

Brodie grinned. Ever since that day they were boon companions all through Sheldon's college years.


	13. Chapter 13

Sheldon peered out the window as the grand city of New York spiraled below him. Even though he lived in LA, nothing comares to the sight of Manhattan island, from the window of a plane.

The flickering lights of the building sparkling into life and the great spires of skyscrapers leaping into the sky. Sheldon could practiculy hear Duke Ellington playing in the air. The movemnt and rythumt that only the city can provide. The hustle and bustle, the constant movement, and the grandouer of New York intoxicated him. Nothing compared. Nothing. This was the city that belonged to the Avengers, Iron Man, The fantastic Four, Spiderman.

This was also Gotham. This was dirty, grimy hardened city of Batman's universe, where crime was prevalent and the dingy streets yerned for a protector because New York City is a city of dualities, of shadow and sunshine, or wealth, and poverity, grim, grit and staggering possibility.

Sheldon looked about as he exited the gate. Sheldon had thought many times of moving to the greatest city in the world. He imagined Amy would love it here, he pictured her a Bohemian, in the village, she would hang out in upscale snooty coffee shops, reading poetry at the Strand, or going to Jazz clubs up in Harlem.

"Hey Sheldon!" Brodie barked from his Mini.

Sheldon smiled he liked those cars, they had his name on them.

Brodie strode up to him, and feinted punching him. "How ya doin ya old pirate?" He quoted. "Its been a long time." He grinned. Other cars honked for him to move his car. Brodie wheeled around. "Hey go fucxk yourself Ill move it in a minute!"

"Youre in a no parking zone! Youre going to get towed!"

Brodie shook his head. "Im glad you didn't change…" He flicked his head toward the car. "Com'on hop in."

Tom Servo was in the back seat, and yipped. He was a scruffy jack Rusel terrier mix.

"Be Cool Tom, this is Sheldon."

"Sheldon say hi." He ordered

His entire life hed been adverse to dogs for their drool, hair, slobber and overall sloppy way of life, and this was no exception. Brodie snorted through his nose at Sheldon's recoil of the idea of touching the animal who sniffed his curiously.

Brodie peeled out aggresivly shifting gears, causing Sheldon to clench his fists on the handle.

Brodie, desite his wrecklessness, was something of a driving savant, as one learns as one drives in Manhattan. He zoomed in and out of traffic with ease as if the other cars wernt there at all, tires peeling around corners, and weaving through traffic jams like he was made of string.

"Where are we going?" Sheldon managed to ask his knuckles were white.

"Back to my lab, there isn't a moment to loose. If youre right, and I think you are, were going to be fucxcking famous!"

The bright blue Mini Cooper stoped on a dime in front a large brick apartment building, with a faded green awning and a pudgy doorman in front. 77th / Madsion. He hopped out Tom trotting behind him. "Com on man lets go, move your ass!" He bounded up the steps, past the doorman. "Hey Norm." He said

"Dr Tremont." Norman tipped is hat.

Sheldon wairliy followed, holding onto his bag for dear life.

Norman held the door for Sheldon who followed Brodie into an old elevator from the twenties, the kind that have levers and doors you have to open yourself.

Brodie yanked the shiny metal gate shut and shoved the lever down to the seventh floor. He flicked his chin towards the end of the hall. "This way."

Brodie pulled out his keys from his Boba Fett keychain and joggled the door open.

"Hey you." A thin attractive redhead sauntered over and kissed Brodie deeply.

Sheldon followed.

"You must be Sheldon…Brodie told me so much about you." She extended her hand.

He looked at Brodie expectantly, who without missing a beat tossed him a bottle of Purelle. Satisfied he was sanitized from the car with a dog in it, he shook her hand. "Im Vanessa." She said.

"Hello." Sheldon answered. "Are you having ciotius with Dr Tremont?"

"Um… " She looked at Brodie. "I see you've found another of your species…" She said chuckling. "For the record…yes Im having regular ciotus with Dr. Tremont."

"Whats your field of study Dr Cooper?"

"Well Currently, Im pursuing Cosmolgy but I have spent a considerable amount of my career to M Theory."

"Wow…that's so interesting… Im a investment banker – I.."

"Van he dosent gicve a crap about what you do for a living…no one does." Brodie said from the fridge pulling out a energy drink an tossing one to Sheldon who caught it without a flinch. Brodie and Sheldon had their own set of rituals.

Vanessa had long acclimated herself to her sometimes boyfriends callous remarks, and just rolled her eyes.

"You can waste time chitchatting later." Brodie waived his hand dismissivly. He pointed to the backhall. Tom Servo nudged him with his favorite ball in his mouth and began to whine wanting to play. "Not now ya little fucxxker!" Brodie said

Sheldon followed Brodie to his lab, taking in all the brickabrack, about the room, his eyes falling and resting on a faded snapshot of him and Brodie when they presented their paper to the univestity at the time. Sheldon couldn't have been more than thirteen, and Brodie, six years his elder. Both boys grinning at the camera, Tall thin gangly Sheldon, and stocky charismatic Brodie.

The entire room was a well organized mess. No one could find anything except Brodie who, like Sheldon had something of edict memory and therefore knew exactly where everything was when last hed placed it down. There were boxes and boxes of files, photos, books on every subject one could think of. DVDs, old Xbox games, D&D dice, superhero action figures, blocks, models of molecules, and puzzle pieces strewn about. It drove Sheldon into something of a frenzy, but hed long gotten to know Brodies methods, and out of respect for a fellow scieticst he didn't move to reorganize anything.

In Brodie's mind it all fit together in an enertia fueled cataclysmic event, and he often caused it his big bang.

"OK Lets assume your equation, and apply it." He began scribbling on his extra board.

Vanessa peeked in to see what they were working on, and her shoulders fell. "Oh no…this means youre gunna be like holed up in here for days doesn't it?"

Brodie didn't even look at her, he was already in another zone. He pulled his arm around to his back and flapped his hand open and closed. "All I hear is a buzzing noise….if youre not going to help then leave. Hold all my calls."

"What about the stupid dog?"

"He stays you go." Brodie answered still without loking at her. Shaking her head sighing while rolling her eyes, she closed the door behind her.

When three days had passed, Vanessa started to get worried. She opened the door to the lab to find every writable surface covered in completx eqautions and thermos, algorthums and charts, complicated quantum mechanical drawings and in the middle were the two men shed left three three days prior staring at them with dark rings under their eyes, pale tired faces and a certain wired manic twitch that can only be brought out my overdoses of caffiene and lack of sleep. Empty Chinese take out and pizza boxes were stacked in the corner, along with crumbled up versions of equations that Brodie demanded were wrong.

They stood in silence staring at the boards, motionless, Brodie's pen dangled from his mouth like a cigareete, while Sheldon had a hard concentration coupled with a glassy eyed demand for a nap.

"Brodie?" Vanessa called "Are you okay?" She opened the door and Tom Servo trotted out, apparently in need for exersize.

Still Brodie's eyes didn't waiver from the boards. "Were fine. Go away." He said pulling the pen out of his mouth only to speak.

Vanessa's lips pursed and she strode in front of him blocking his view. "Hey!" She barked, and she jerked him to attention. She put both hands on his tired face. "You need to sleep. You need to eat and you need to get some sunshine." Brodie looked around her. "Were working." But upon seeing the look on her face, he turned to Sheldon. Sheldon was inanother zone far from the common mind. He hadn't heard of been responsive to stimuli in over 48 hours. Suddenly he was joslted back to reality.

"Sheldon. " Brodie said.

"What?"

"have you figured this out?"

"Not yet."

"Me neither."

Vanessa gently pushed him toward the door. "You both need a fresh start."

Brodie looked back at the board, shaking his head. He depsied leaving things unfinished. "Were missing something." Sheldon nodded silently. "Were close….but something's out of place." He said frustrated

Brodie finally looked at Vanessa (who was none too happy with him) properly, smiling. "Hey Pretty eyes."

"Don't pretty eyes me! You ignore me for three days with your science buddy and Im supposed to forget about that?" She said hotly "Your in the dog house pal! Ive been calling your phone for days!"

Brodie blinked. "You-You have?" He looked over at Sheldon. "What time is it?"

Sheldon glanced at his watch. 6:00 Thursday.

"Whoa."

"yeah, kinda hard to tell what day it is when you keep the shades always closed" She said striding towards the windows and throwing them open for some breeze. A burst of wind blew a pile of papers that were sitting on a nearby sheld about and both Brodie and Sheldon stared at it. They looked at each other in dawning comphrension. "THAT'S IT!" They both yelped

Vanessa had no idea what she had done, but was glad to see her whatever he was to her so happy.


	14. Chapter 14

'This is going to be amazing. We have to publish immedatly!" Sheldon yelped. He looked about. "where's my laptop?"

"Over here." Brodie said throwing things about to unearth it in the piles of notea and files he had strewn about the room.

Sheldon yawned widely.

"We have to c-c-celebrate" Brodie yawned as well. "Lets hit the town." Sheldon gave him a paled expression.

"Nooooo…. You have to sleep." Vanessa said. "Com'on the both of you. Sheldon you can crash on the couch." He added, she grabbed Brodie by the shoulders and steered him towards his room.

"But we still have papers to write. " He looked at Sheldon. "The Tremont-Cooper thermo is guna put us on the front of every magaizine in the country."

Sheldon darkeened. "Cooper Tremont therom."

"Oh this again? You sought out my help, which means you couldn't do it by yourself. Therefore my expertise is what well be considering in this matter."

"Oh no ya don't! This is exactly what happened last time! Im not loosing my nobel again because you cant handle getting second billing Mr Diva!"

"You know why Im not mad about last time?"

Sheldon threw him a look. "Why?"

"Because I disproved it. I was right."

Sheldon staggered. 'You –y-you what?!"

"That's right."

"But But …"

Brodie shrugged. "I never published my findings."

"You You have to! I cant go around assuming something that isn't true!" Sheldon was outraged.

Brodie simply gave him a eletist smile. "Things are what they Sheldon. The fact that I was right and you were wrong does not dimish the fact of the matter that excited particles act they way the do. They always did. Whether or not I was right or you were wrong is moot. "

Sheldons chest was heaving, and he began to hyperventalate. Brodie grabbed an empty lunch bag and gave it to him.

Vanessa stared in bewilderment. "Whats wrong with him?!"

"He hates being wrong."

"NO! You have you have to publish!" Sheldon stammered.

Brodie simply shrugged. "You should know me by now Sheldon." He said calmly. "We need to resolve this democraticly."

Sheldon pulled the bag from his face and tried to breath evenly. "Ok…ok very well." He swallowed.

Brodies smirked. Both men paused and glared at each other. "On three." He said

"Rock Lizard Paper Sissors Spock SHOOT!" Brodie threw paper, while Sheldon, as he always did threw Spock.

"HA! Paper disproves Spock!" Brodie saod triumphantly

Sheldon scowled and sulked. "Curses!"

"Ahhh predictatiblity….where would science be without it?"

"You cheated! Youre familar with my mannerisms and therefore deduced the predictable outcome!"

Brodie leaned towards him. "In other words…I was right."

Sheldon finally relented. "Fine. Tremont Cooper it is…" He grumbled. "But Im only mentioning as a footnote in Memoars….like way in the back too!" He added assuming to settle the matter. He rubbed his eyes and yawned again.

"Yeah fine whatever." He said

"Ok that's enough." Vanessa said "Youre exhausted the both of you." She said sternly. "You have a lecture in the morning!"

"Aww man…" Brodie whinned.

"Come on…you'll be less than useless tommrow if you don't get at least a few hours…"

"But we still have to celebrate…" Brodie pleaded. He looked at the clock. "Its only…uh…what day is again?" He said stupidly.

"You can go out tommorow after school." She said resuming her sometime maternal role in his life. "Bed. NOW!." She said.

"Yeah yeah yeah ya old battle axe!" He grumbled shuffling off to his room.

Vanessa shook her head, and tuned to Sheldon. "Ill get you some sheets and a blanket Sheldon, hold on a sec."

"Thank You." He said. In truth, he was grateful Vanessa had made his friend go to bed. A night on the town with Brodie was exhausting and of itself…let alone one without three days sleep.

"Goodnight Dr Cooper." But he was already fast asleep.


	15. Chapter 15

"Youre nuts…" Howard was saying as they carried their lunch trays to their table. "Even if it were true, theyd let anyone do it."

"They do!"

"Green Lanterns power has been and always will be will…Batman dosent have a super power."

"Batman has more will than any other hero." Raj Counteed. "He is the perfect Green Lantern. He said proudly "Green Lanterns power comes from the lantern, without the ring hes just a guy in jacket. Batman is always Batman no matter what."

"No way he could never be a latern."

"No Batman rules by fear."

"Will. He never gives up. Ever."

Leonard looked at the empty spot at the table. It was conversations like this, that they would refere to his memory for, and his extertise. He always seemed to be able to settle the argument with his insufferable logical conclusions. It made Leonard miss him dreadfully. Raj and Howard seemed to pick up on Leonards thoughts because they looked at each other and the empty seat as well, and instantly returned to their meals silentley.

"Uh-oh 2:00" Howard muttered looking over Lenaord's shoulder.

Dr Gabelhouser sauntered over to them. "Good Afternoon boys." He said in his natural jovial underling sarcasum,

"Dr Gabelhouser." They said in submissive uninson,

"Dr Hofester, a word in my office if you please." He said

Leonard gulped. He racked his brain to think of what he could be in trouble for. He followed Gabelhouser to his office.

"Close the door, have a seat." Gabelhouser said

Leonard sat and his eyes darted about. His palms began to sweat.

"Leonard… I think you know why I brought you here."

"Uh…I Do?"

"Dr Cooper."

Leonards shoulders dropped in relief. "Oh…well hes on something of a soul searching trip."

"So I hear."

"Is anything wrong? I know he was pretty upset about not being able to pursue Cosmology but.."

"Well the truth is, were rethinking our initial decision."

Leonard's eyebrows popped. "Really? Hed be so happy to hear that!"

"Our…board…" He hesitated. "Believes Sheldon's work shows promise and are willing to accept his return."

"What about my research?" Leonard couldn't help asking

Gabelhouser shifted uncomfortably. "The truth is, even though I think hes got a screw loose, but Dr Cooper is the best scientist he have at this school. No offesnse."

"None taken." Leonard muttered grumpily

"Our alumni commitity and the donation commitity feel that it would be best for the school if Sheldon return to his research in string theory. We know its in his best interest if he remains focused on his work." Galbelhouser said folding his fingers together. "You of all people know he can get … distracted by other things."

Leonard remembered all too well when Sheldon lost his job and practicly his mind and got involved with a loom and studying luminous fish.

"Yes he can be distracted, but its only because hes so interested in so many things." Leonard came to Sheldon's defense in this matter more than once to the school. "But its really important to him that he pursuer facets that are going to have some glimmer of provable theory some day. He thinks theres no future in string theory." Leoanrd said simply.

"Look, I know youre his friend, I know you know him better than anybody, but the truth is he simply wasn't given the funding to study cosmology, and the people who give money to this school are the ones who get to call the shots." Gabelhouser said.

"Certain donars are becoming intreseted in Cosmology." Gabelhouser said "They want to provide him with a grant for a three year contractual period…"

"Why are you telling ME this?"

"Because I was hoping youd be able to convince him to come back…"


	16. Chapter 16

Sheldon opened a bleary to find Tom Servo licking his face happily, and bolted up wiping his face to repulsion. "Ugh!" He looked about to find the apartment empty, he glanced at the clock on the wall. It was 8:00 am. After hed showered he noticed there was a post-it note on the fridge.

'At lecture –coffee in pot, grubhub anything you want. Walk Servo –B'

Sheldon looked down at the little white and brown scruffy little dog who waged his tail at him, with a sneer on his face.

"You are a disgusting creature." Sheldon explained to him. "However I imagine you'll be a lot more disgusting when you evacuate your bowles on the floor, so lets go for a walk." He grabbed the leash dangling from the wall, which looked like CHewbaccas bandoelier, and smiled in apprication. He attched to the excited dog's collar and left.

The morning sunshine was bright and cheerful in the upper east side neighborhood that day, and he took it all in. Shop keepers opening their stores lifting the graffiti covered meta heavy grates, the scaffolting, Street cleaners, push cart guys selling coffee in ubiquitous greek cups, other people walking their dogs, people heading to work, checking their phones, coffee in hand, hailing cabs, and rushing to catch trains or busses. Sheldon watched Tom Servo sniff about for the perfect spot for his business.

Sheldon imagined himself and Amy in some strange Anne Hall-esque situation where they sat on a bench over looking the river, silhouetted by beautiful bridges and the magnificent city before them. He wondered what their life would be like, living in some cramped apartment, their downstairs neighbors screaming at each other in another language, Spanish music being thumped above them, children crying down the hall, while they huddled together on a futon watching re-runs of SNL late at night. There would be books bought at the Strand jammed into any space they had left, and theyd fight over what show to watch. They would complain about the smell, and the extemes of tempratures, subways that were delayed and all the weirdos, but the richness, and the grandure, the beauty and difference, the marvelous wonder of the city is what would keep them there, as it keeps all New Yorkers.

He could do research for any number of schools, as well as she. She would drag him to museums and operas while he would bring her to lectures at Lehman or CNYC, and books signings in Barnes and Nobels in Union Square, and they would take their evening constitutionals in the park on balmy evenings. They would root for the Yankees and Giants, and be in Times Square when the ball dropped. She would kiss him on the top of the Empire State building on Valentines Day and he would surprise her with dinner at the Minetta Tavern on their anniversary. He could look at the Kolalas in the Bronx. During the holidays, they would go to see Rockefeller Centers, and the Botanical Gardens train show. Eat seafood on City Island, and get annoyed at tourists who walked too slow. They could have a life here.

When Tom Servo yapped at him, he returned to reality and realized hed walked quite far from the apartment building. He looked at his watch. Hed been walking for quite a while and started back.

When he opened the door, Brodie was leaning on the counter sipping coffee and casualy taping away on his laptop. "Hey…whereve you been?"

"I took your dog for walk." He said simply, he glanced down at Tom, and found a fondness for the animal he hadn't had before, bent down and scratched him behind the ears. Tom licked his hand in apprication.

Brodie smiled at this."Dude, check your messages, someone named Leonard has been calling you all morning." He tosses Sheldon his phone

"Oh! Thank You." Hed become rather wrapped up his fantasy. He quickly dialed.

"Leonard?" Sheldon asked. "Slow down…I can barely hear you? …." He listened. "Im still in New York with Tremont." He answered. "What?" Sheldon strained to listen, there was a lot going on in the background. It sounded like he was at a party or something.

Leonard poked his finger in his ear trying to listen to Sheldon. "I said Im with Raj and Howard trying to raise funds!

"What? Why?"

"The school wants you back! But they cant unless we raise the money for you to research cosmology!"

"So why is it so loud?"

"Were having a rock band tournament at the comic book store!" Leonard answered loudly. "So far we got pledges for 5,000.00"

Sheldon was touched his friends would go to such lengths for him.

"Leonard! Youre a real swell guy!"

Leonard beamed into the phone. Being called 'swell' by Sheldon Cooper was high Praise indeed.

"You gotta come home and see this! All these people Sheldon! All these people want to back you Its amazing!" Leonard said excitedly. "Theres gotta be like 30 people here!"

Sheldon's jaw dropped. 30 people in Stewarts comic shop was like a mob. "Just for me?" He asked astounded

"Yeah! Ya gotta come home!"

Sheldon smiled warmly. "Theres something I still need to do, but Im coming home soon."

"What do you have to do that's more important than pyshcis?"

"I cant tell you."

Leonard looked up at the sky for patience. "Sheldon, do you have any idea what I had to do to organize this?"

"I know, and I appricate it! Im very lucky to have such great friends who would stand up for me in my time of need."

"Sheldon if we can show our petition to Radcliff he says hell convince President Seaburt!"

"What about Gablehouser?"

"Hes on board! He asked me to get you to come home!"

"Gabelhouser?! I know that little worm!" Brodie chimed in listening to the entire conversation. "Hes a total asxhole!" He said

Sheldon waived his arm at Brodie to keep quiet.

"Leonard Ill be coming home as soona s I can, but I gotta go. Bye"

Leonard looked at the phone and say Sheldon had gone. He looked at the people in Stewarts store all rallied there for Sheldon and sighed. Raj looked at him. "So? Is he coming home?"

"He says hell be homesoon and theres one more thing he has to do."

"What?"

"He didn't say."

"I wonder what hes doing…"

Leonard shrugged. "Come on lets get back in there"

Raj took off his shirt. "Ok bitches! Get ready to see the heat!" He yelled and jumped on the dance revolution pad with vigor.


	17. Chapter 17

When he knew him in college, Brodie was something of a ladies man. Indeed, Sheldon remembered vividly that he would have a different girlfriend exactly every four days. Except when he met the one girl for whom hed pledged his love to eternally. But Alas, it was never to be. Although some would argue opposittes attract, in this case nothing could be further form the truth. They literally had nothing in common. Excpept for their mutal interst in the quirky scientist who stood before his friend.

"Brodie?" Sheldon asked tentatively. "I have a question of a personal nature."

Brodie looked up from his laptop. There was something different about this Shedlon from the one he knew before. While Brodie knew him when he was a lttle kid, there was somwthign new about Sheldon now. Some unforeseen force that guided his actions and thoughts. When it dawned upon Brodie, he cocked his head inquizitivly.

"Huh. I always rather liked that you had no interest in the opposite sex. It made it more fun to study your reactions to things." He said finally.

"Well be that as it may, " Sheldon said resigned. "Youre the most knowledgeable about such things."

Brodie cracked a cocky smile. "Well…" He popped his collar and adjusted his waistcoat.

"Im thinking of starting a life with her." He said. Hearing outloud was a strange thing he reflected. In his head it sounded romatic and possible, but outside of his mouth it sounded stupid and juvinille.

Brodie was silent. Hed known Sheldon for a long time and understood and accepted how change set him off It was one of the things that made their friendship stand the test of time, while other people in Sheldon's life gave him grief for his actions, demands and attention to order, Brodie simply accepted them because he was , at the heart of him a realist. He didn't get angry with Sheldons beliefes and 'strangeness' because he accepted it as what it was. That was Sheldon. There was no need to try to change him, any more than any other form of matter, Brodie had always thought. But here now, Sheldon was changing on his own. The dynamic had altered, and his needs were changing as well. While he was neer what many considered 'mature' for a 33 year old, he was, however when Brodie knew him extremely mature for a twelve year old. The only constant was that as Sheldon aged his personality basicly stayed the same, now that wasn't true anymore.

"How long have you been together?"

"Four years."

Brodie nodded his approval of such a stretch. He reguarded his old friend, and prided himself on being able to read him well. "You haven't fuxxkd her yet, or your question would be differently phrased." He deduced

"Im not going … to … do that!" Sheldon exclaimed. "If we are to … be …intamte…it will be … " Sheldon wasn't sure what to call it.

Brodie stopped in mid pace, and pivoted hands still behind his back. "I recommend fucxxking.'"He said. "It's a marvelous sensation. Youll love it! " He said grinning at the reaction of Sheldon hearing sailor talk, and began to pace about again.

"Very Well, you asked a question that I can answer simply enough." He said "First of all – you cant start a life with her. You already have a life with her." He said. "You see each other frequently, Im positive she knows you intimatetly better than many others, and – you've left Pasendea because she pressured you into something you figured out youre gunna do anyway." He pivoted again on his feet with Sheldons rather cross but impressed face. Brodie never ceased to dissappiont.

Brodie sat at the kitchen table. "You think youre in love with her, but in fact you – youre only coming to this conclusion after this long courtship." He stated triumphantly.

Sheldon sat beside Brodie and gave him a hard look. "How does that even happen? Im not an idiot school girl! Im perfectly aware of the chemicals in my brain giving me the illusion of emotional attachment, the very same way you were when you and …. " Brodie darkened visably. Sheldon clamped his mouth shut sheepishly. "Sorry." He said

Brodie sighed heavily. "Hey … its fine. I mean Im in a relationship myself. Van's great. Shes funny and sweet and she kicks my ass when it needs kickin'" He said proudly. "Shes also really cool ya know?" He said fondly "She dosent give me crap when Im working, and she totally gets me."

Sheldon smiled softly He knew exactly what he meant. "But I don't believe in 'love'" He said folding his arms indifferently.

"Sheldon…love isn't about the grand gestures you see in movies. No real guy ever holds up some stupid broad on a tip of a boat destined to crash into the sea. Theres no guys out there shimming up vines to their starcrossed lovers balcony. Theres no ensemble cast all coming together at the end realizing how much theyve love the girl this whole and they run to her. Theres no prince charming handing out roses, or dudes standing in the rain yelling some bitches name. No." He said. "Ya know what real love is?" He asked

"What?"

"Its when she makes you tea just the way you like. When she knows when to leave you the hell alone. Its when she dosent need to say anything and just look at you to know how to calm you down. Its when she becomes your answer to every equation… when you realize that that's who she is….thats when you know you love her" He said

Sheldon stared.

"So…how is she?"

Sighing heavily, Sheldon had prepared himself for this eventual line of questioning.

"Shes married a with a son."

"The husband the father?"

"We hope so." Sheldon shrugged. "She wouldn't let me run a paternity test on Bret."

Revolted, Brodies face turned up. "BRET?" He said "She married a dude named Bret? How Apilachain can you get?"

Sheldon snorted. "Yeah his family tree doesn't have many branches…."

"God…"Brodie grumbled. "She ever ask about me?"

"As a matter of fact she did when her son was born. I went home for it and when the baby had fallen asleep she asked about you, if you were okay and so on, the normal benailities, but I assumed it was just because shed just been through a tramatic event."

Brodie sighed. Try as he may, he couldn't forget Missy Cooper. Hed loved her from the moment he saw he pick up Sheldon from school with their mom. After shed finally agreed to go out with him, she admitted shed strung him along from pity more than anything else, and only wanted to keep her options open. Shed broken his heart in amillion pieces and it took a long time and a lot of girls to get over her, and if truth be told he never really had.

"Im sorry I brought it up."

"Don't worry about it. Forget it. So…is this one a sum of a bunch of little things?"

Sheldon smiled softly and warmly. He thgouth about how shed eat all the brazil nuts so he didn't have to look at them, and how she always stood up for him when, she knew when to put him in his place and tell him when he was wrong.

He looked at his phone. "Youre right. I already have a life with her, and I have to go back to it." He said.

Brodie looked out the window as the sunshine poured in, making the shadows danse on the floor from the trees outside. "You gunna publish when you get back?"

"Of course." He said starting to pack his thigns. He looked over at Brodie who was silent. "Your not going to publish? But…But you won!"

"Dosent matter. I was right. That's all that matters." He said.

"Brodie…you have to take credit. You did have the calculations, half the research and honestly…" He grunted in reluctance. "I … I wouldn't have figured it out if it wernt for you."

Brodie never ceased to be amazed at Sheldons reactions of things. It was one of his favorite things about Sheldon, that he could be both his friend and test subject at the same time. "Of course Im gunna publish ya gullable bastrxd! "

Sheldon persed his lips in annoyence.

"Come'on lets get you to the airport. I assume your making a a stop to see yer mom before you head back home?" he said from behind

"yes I –"

Sheldon looked up at the ceiling. "She always was your kryptonite."


End file.
